Strolling
onto the boardwalk we find one of the newest and most
talked about attractions, the interactive dark ride
Zombie World, designed by Shocktoberfest, Inc. In a
previous life, this ride was the Monster Mash, an attraction
that employed live actors. Reincarnated as Zombie World,
it was given a post-apocalyptic theme. The Monster Mash
ride system, originally installed in Tropworld Casino
in Atlantic City before being brought to Wildwood, was
retained. Passengers ride screened-in, box-shaped cars
that travel on a conveyor.

There
are no live actors now. In fact, there’s plenty
of animated entertainment on the ride’s façade
and in the loading area. The ride’s staff encourages
boardwalkers to see both. Outside at the boardwalk
entrance is a giant animatronic zombie that
resembles a distant cousin to the Grim Reaper
figure outside Coney Island’s Spook-A-Rama.

The
Zombie World loading area is filled with carnage
from the final World War. As the

story line goes, planet Earth was riddled with
atomic bombs and now the living dead outnumber
the humans 1000 to 1. You board a UAV (Underground
Assault Vehicle) armed with a laser gun and
travel through a collapsed subway station and
toxic sewer system to help the Alliance of Humans
narrow down the zombie population.

If
you like interactive shooting games, this is
a must, as the animated zombie targets are quick
and elusive. Riders/players can check their
scoring on Zombie World's web site.